Spinal Tap Blues

Perhaps the toughest day yet (pray that this will not be a trend!), and yet the Lord’s sustaining hand has been obvious. My sleepless night last night gave me ample opportunity to research the “spinal tap headache” which occurs in 20% of spinal tap cases, so I knew a little bit about what the day would hold when I awoke. Spinal tap headaches are said to be the most painful headaches to have, and they cause nausea, imbalance and photosensitivity worse than severe migraines. As a result, I had to go back to the ER today and have a “blood patch”—which means that they basically repeated the spinal tap except that, this time, they added blood to my spine rather than removing spinal fluid. For the record, it was just as painful as it was the first time they started poking around my spinal cord. I cannot remember feeling so physically and emotionally terrified in my life, and yet the headache has eased.

I had just a moment, when my parents left me to run errands, to praise God for this specific relief. I played Amazing Grace (Chris Tomlin version) on my laptop, thought about my former chains, and accepted this lighter burden again from the Lord’s hand. I will return to the hospital for another steroid treatment tomorrow. Please pray for favor in several arenas when we go--we have to set up appointments with the neurologist and my general practitioner, and we also have some hope that my spinal tap results may be available tomorrow. In theory, at least, we could be forced to wait (up to two weeks) for an appointment with the neurologist to get those results. Pray that all of this would work out quickly and smoothly.

Several of you have prayed with me tonight. I can only say that this is the thing I need. I cannot talk with all of you, but I would love for you to write out your prayers and let me read them and offer them again as my own. I would love that more than anything!

Trusting our good father to reveal his faithfulness even in this…